as in erupted
to develop suddenly and violently
in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
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Recent Examples of broken out
The clash between Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has broken out into public view at times.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Like his sister, Norm MacLean (Moises Arias) has also broken out of the vaults and come face to face with the Wasteland.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
YouTube’s business also encompasses subscription revenue from YouTube TV, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, which isn’t broken out by Alphabet.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
In Minneapolis, confrontations have broken out and multiple protesters have been arrested.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Heineman, who was an afterthought for many in the Dobson trade, has broken out as a complementary top-six contributor.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But soon enough, the tiny fire truck has lost its wheels and a fight has broken out over whose Care Bears keychain is cooler, though neither of my children has ever owned a key.
—Mandy Len Catron, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Violent protests have broken out in the Mexican state of Michoacán over the murder of an outspoken anti-crime mayor, who was killed over the weekend while taking part in a Day of the Dead celebration.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
By the time the wage board announced that the lowest-grade workers would receive 12,500 Bangladeshi taka ($102) per month, full-fledged riots had broken out, drawing police gunfire that killed three workers and resulting in a factory blaze that caused the death of a fourth.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Like his sister, Norm MacLean (Moises Arias) has also broken out of the vaults and come face to face with the Wasteland.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
YouTube’s business also encompasses subscription revenue from YouTube TV, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, which isn’t broken out by Alphabet.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
In Minneapolis, confrontations have broken out and multiple protesters have been arrested.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Heineman, who was an afterthought for many in the Dobson trade, has broken out as a complementary top-six contributor.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But soon enough, the tiny fire truck has lost its wheels and a fight has broken out over whose Care Bears keychain is cooler, though neither of my children has ever owned a key.
—Mandy Len Catron, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Violent protests have broken out in the Mexican state of Michoacán over the murder of an outspoken anti-crime mayor, who was killed over the weekend while taking part in a Day of the Dead celebration.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
By the time the wage board announced that the lowest-grade workers would receive 12,500 Bangladeshi taka ($102) per month, full-fledged riots had broken out, drawing police gunfire that killed three workers and resulting in a factory blaze that caused the death of a fourth.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken out
Verb
-
The Arlington Grace Prep Lions erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first inning, cruising to a 9-2 victory over New Braunfels Allegiance in a non-district high school baseball contest Friday at the campus of Colleyville Covenant Christian.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The now monthlong war erupted after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which retaliated with strikes against Israel and neighboring gulf Arab states.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The event Moskovitz is referring to occurred on March 21, when a 1-ton, 3-foot-wide meteor exploded over Texas, with a cannonball-sized fragment crashing through the roof of a house in Bammel, near Cypress Station, north of Houston, Texas.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Oxygen cylinders in the vehicles exploded, breaking windows in an adjacent apartment block.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20out. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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